A man seriously injured in the Oldham gas blast sent a text message to his partner just hours earlier saying he was going to kill himself, we can reveal.

A man seriously injured in the Oldham gas blast sent a text message to his partner just hours earlier saying he was going to kill himself, we can reveal.

Dad Andrew Partington, 27, sent the message to partner and mother-of-five Tanya Williams the night before the devastating explosion, which killed two-year-old Jamie Heaton.

The message indicated he intended to take his own life.

Now detectives seized Ms Williams mobile and today continuing to search through the rubble to recover Mr Partington's Blackberry.

Mr Partington, formerly of Spotland, Rochdale, suffered up to 30 per cent burns in the blast. He is sedated and unconscious in Wythenshawe Hospital and police have said it could be weeks before he regains consciousness.

Detectives say he has 'significant questions' to answer when he wakes.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said: "Unfortunately there is no change in Mr Partington's condition. We understand his condition may remain the same for days, maybe even weeks.”

Officers are investigating reports from neighbours that Mr Partington had rowed with Tanya the night before the tragedy, which resulted in her and the children leaving the house in Buckley Street, Shaw.

Mr Partington appeared in court earlier this month following a domestic incident at his rented home in May.

He was convicted of common assault and given a conditional discharge.

It is understood his partner Tanya did not contact police but a family member did.

Police had also been called to a disturbance at Mr Partington's home when he previously lived in Rochdale.

The seat of the blast – which also destroyed four homes and severely damaged dozens more – was in number nine Buckley Street, which was rented by Mr Partington and Ms Williams.

A gas fitter who was arrested in London in a separate line of inquiry has been freed on bail.

The 32-year-old, from Shaw, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

It is believed he examined a boiler at Mr Partington's home days before the disaster.

ACC Heywood added: "Everything remains up for grabs in terms of getting to the truth and we will be looking at all possibilities.

"The possibility of an accident is still in there, criminal is still in there, civil is still in there and as you can imagine that requires an awful lot of detective power.

“There is a full detective syndicate on it and that will remain on it until we get to the truth."

Oldham council has said more than 10 properties could be demolished because of structural damage caused by the blast.

Residents on Oak Street, Milnrow Road and Linney Lane have been allowed to access their properties but others on Buckley Street and Edmund Street remain behind an inner cordon of properties still having their safety assessed by structural engineers.

The council's chief executive Charlie Parker said: "We are clearly going through and assessing all the properties. There are a number of properties in the immediate blast area which will have to be demolished.

"Certainly about 10 properties are seriously affected by the blast. There are then another series of properties in that inner cordon which are potentially subject to more survey work to determine their viability."

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Key parts from the gas boiler of the house at the centre of the Oldham explosion have been recovered by police, the M.E.N can reveal. The parts include pipework and boiler components which are now being forensically examined.

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